Study commission sets May 4 public hearing, aims to finalize preliminary report by March 30

The Chair of the Silver Bow County study commission said the working group will circulate a draft of the preliminary charter report next week and set March 30 as the drop‑dead date to affirm the preliminary report so the county can proceed with outreach and ballot preparations. "It looks like currently, we are sitting at a balance of 85,150," the Chair said, noting the commission must reserve money for ballot printing.

The commission agreed to hold listening sessions in April and tentatively scheduled a public hearing for May 4 to leave time to respond to input and meet the secretary of state's submission window in June. A staff speaker reminded the commission that the secretary of state’s deadline is in June and recommended scheduling the public hearing no later than May. "I would suggest hedging our bets, though, if you're looking at scheduling a public hearing at doing it no later than May," the staff member said.

Staff outlined distribution channels for the community survey and outreach: a QR‑coded newspaper ad run over several weeks, social media, the county newsletter, the chamber and BLDC newsletters, radio spots, and localized paper copies. Staff said a full mass mailing (printer plus postage) would cost roughly $20,000; the Chair said the commission currently has about $85,150 in its account and will reserve some for any additional ballot printing costs.

The Chair described a schedule of internal meetings to prepare the report and review outreach findings: the working group will provide a draft early in March; the commission will meet March 9 and March 16 to review drafts; a March 20 target is preferred and March 30 is the final deadline if work lags. Listening sessions will run through April with a summary review meeting in late April to prepare for the May 4 hearing.

Next steps: the working group will circulate the draft, staff will provide cost estimates for printing and mailings, and staff will open a line of communication with the secretary of state to confirm filing deadlines and format requirements.